Machine for forming cementitious insulating-sheets.



A I 1. E. LAPPEN. MACHINE FOR FORMING CEMENTITIOUS INSULAT ING SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYI5, 1913- 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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' J. E. LAPPEN. MACHINE FOR FORMING CEMENTITIOUS INSULATING SHEETS.APPLICATION FILED MAYIs. 1913.

1,140,601. Patented May 25,1915.

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means for carrying the .material through the pressure rolls so that itwill not adhere to the same, for extracting and removing the watertherefrom, and for feeding the material to the traveling apron on whichit is formed.

Where as is usually the case the Wet material is carried upon a wirecloth or other reticulate apron under press rolls which work in contactwith the material, difficulty has been experienced from the tendency ofthe material to cling to the rolls, and there has been no efi'ectivemeans of drawing off the water which is forced to the top of the mass bythe pressure of the rolls, for the material is too thick and heavy toallow this Water to drain down through it and through the meshes of theapron below.

' The ingredients of the cementitious paste upon which the presentmachine is particularly designed to act are, preferably, hy-

draulic cement, mineral wool or asbestos fiber and alum, the latterbeing employed to set the cement to the mineral wool or asbestos fiber.These'ingredients are mixed .in a large amount of water, so that theasbestos or mineral wool fibers shall become separated and thoroughlymixed with the a cement. This mixture, when reduced to a pasty mass isthe stock which is fed to the machine.

With the foregoing object in view my invention consists in theconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 15, 1913. Serial No. 767,859.

Patented May 25, 1915.

be'driven by appropriate mechanism (not shown) from any suitable sourceof power,

- and which itself drives the apron. The top reach of the apron passesfirst under a feed hopper B. Within the hopper just above the dischargeopening in the bottom is a toothed wheel 5 which travels from right toleft and feeds the material down, while below the hopper is anothertoothed wheel 6 in the nature of a doffer which runs in close proximityto the wheel 5 above and to the apron below, and receives and picks offthe material from the wheel 5 and delivers it to the apron. As the wheel6 turns in the same direction as the wheel 5, that is from right toleft, the lower part of its periphery will run oppositely tothedirection of travel of the apron, so that it will lay the materialrearwardly upon the apron and draw the fibers backward lengthwise of thesheet. The wheel may be driven from any suitable source of power. Theapron next passes under a tamper C which serves to distribute andcompact the mass and to expel much of the water from it. The tamper C-preferably has its operating face formed by a pluas well as to laybackward lengthwise of the sheet, any projecting fibers so as tostrengthen the sheet and give it a smoother surface. After the materialhas been thus surfaced it is subjected to the action of a second tamperE which works in vertical guides 9. This tamper, like the tamper C, hasits operative face formed, preferably, by a plurality of transverse ribs10. The

tampers C and E may be mounted by means of carriers '11 and 12,respectively, upon eccentrics 13 and 14 carried by shafts havingsprocket and chain connection 15 and adapted to be driven by appropriatemechanism from any' suitable source of power. The

apron then runs under a plurality of pressure rolls F supported inadjustable. spring pressed bearings 16 of ordinary construcwhich travelsunder the rolls F above the apron screen 3 and in the same direction,

- so that the material will be carried through the rolls between thesescreens. The screen 17 after passing under the rolls F passes under andaround a large driving pulley 18 mounted in spring pressed bearings 19and opposed to the pulley 4 which drives the apron 3. Thepulley 18 maybe driven from any suitable source of power. The top reach of the apronpasses over an idler pulley 30 having journal support in pivot bearings20 having horizontally adjustable support in a guide-way 21 secured tothe top of the framework and extending lengthwise thereof. The bearingscan be adjusted in the guide-way by means of a hand screw 22.

To remove the water which rises above the screen 17 as the materialpasses between the rolls 2 and F I have arranged the following suctiondevices: Supported in any suitable inanner just above the bottom reachof the screen 17 adjacent to and following each of the rolls F are aplurality of pipes 23 which extend across the machine and are formed intheir underside'with slotted inlhaust openings 24. These pipes areconnected with a suction pipe 25, leading to a suction engine 26, whichmay be operated from any suitable source of power. After the. materialhas been carried by the screens 3 and-17 through the rolls 2 and F andbetween the pulleys 4 and 18, it is delivered from these pulleys in acontinuous sheet upon a table consisting preferably .of a series ofrolls 27. While the material is being subjected to the action of thetampers, surfacers, and squeeze rollers, it is prevented from escapingat the sides of the apron by means of a pair of spaced endless deckelstraps or belts G, which pass over rollers 28 and 29 positioned,respectively, near the feed and delivery ends of the apron. Theserollers are .arrafllged in such close proximity to the apron 3, that thelower reaches of the deckels rest upon the top reach of the apron, andare entrained and carried with it.

In use, the heavy cementitious material in the feed hopper is fed downto the apron by the toothed wheels 5 and 6 upon the top reach of theapron 3, which carries it forward beneath the tapers and planner,whereby it is evenly'spread and partially drained. After leaving thetamper E, the 'material meets the upper screen 17 and is carried forwardbetween the screens 3 and 17 between the rolls F and 2. The pressure ofthe rolls 2 upon the screen 17 bring to the surface a considerableamount of water, which is drawn'ofi as it forms through the suctionpipes 23'and 25, as above described, leaving the compacted sheetsufliciently free of water to be delivered by the pulleys 4 and 6 in acomparatively dry self-sustaining sheet. The screen also prevents thepasty material from clinging to the rolls F, and make a fairly cleanline of separation/ between the cement and the water squeezed up fromit, for the cementitious material cannot work up through the screen 17.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for forming cementitious material into compressedsheets, the combination with lower press rolls, of a supporting screentraveling over said rolls, a cooperating screen arranged above saidsupporting screen and traveling therewith, said screens being adapted tocarry cementitious material between them, a succession of press rollsarranged above said upper screen and opposing said lower rolls wherebyto press and work the material carried between said screens, and asuccession of suction devices arranged between said upper rolls and inproximity to said upper screen, whereby to 100 draw off the water forcedup therethrough.

2. In a machine for forming cementitious materialinto compressed sheets,the combi nation with pressure instrumentalities, of an endlesstravelingapron adapted to carry said material into position to be acted upon bysaid instrumentalities, a feed hopper arranged above said apron, a pairof toothed Wheels running in the same direction and oppositely to thedirection of travel of the apron, one of said wheels working within thehopper near the mouth thereof, and the other wheel being arrangedbetween said hopper wheel and said apron and working in close proximityto said hopper wheel and to said apron and adapted to pick the materialfrom said hopper wheel and deliver it upon said apron and lay backwardthe fibers thereof.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\ JAMES E. LAPPEN.

Witnesses:

J. M. zoom, F. CJFANDoN.

